The Rising of the Shield Sage Village
by Fluffball13
Summary: When all seemed lost, Raphtalia found her village saved by the Legendary Shield Hero. Yet, even with the Shield Hero's help, the village ends up adult-less thanks to raiders. Raphtalia decided to rebuild the village with the help of the Shield Hero. However, the Shield Hero is more than what he seems. Discontinued
1. Chapter 1

Waves crashed against the cliff. I saw the villagers struggle against the currents and being drawn far out into the sea. I grabbed onto my mother's back and hid from the monster that had corner us.

The three-headed dog monster growled and leaped at us.

"Faust Holy!" Father roared out and batted the monster's claws back with an orb of light, but his shoulder sprayed out blood in the process.

"Dear, are you alright?" Mother asked in worry.

"I'm fine... But if we don't take care of this thing, he'll follow the villagers into the sea and-"

"I know, " Mother said firmly.

"I'm sorry, honey."

"I was prepared."

Both of my parents turned to me.

"What?" I asked before Mother rubbed my back.

"Don't forget to smile. Be nice to others." Mother said with a strained smile.

"She's right. When you smile, everyone smiles." Father rubbed my head. "Raphtalia, things will be hard for you. If you aren't careful, you could even die,"

"But still... Even still, Raphtalia, we want you to live. So please, forgive us for our selfishness." My heart pounded as tears filled my eyes.

"No! Mommy! Daddy!" I clenched onto my mother's arms. "Don't leave me!"

"Sor-"

"Rasengan!" A war cry came and the three-headed beast howled out in pain. It turned away from us and snapped. "Shadow Clone Technique!"

"What the-" Father gasped out as tens of men appeared out of puffs of smoke and attacked the monster. "The reinforcements came!"

"How in... Thank goodness." Mother hugged me tightly.

"As the source of your power, I command you! Light! Slay the beast before me! Faust Holy!" Father roared out and launched a ball of light from his hand. The ball hit one of the beast's heads and it turned back at us.

"As if I let you!" The men shouted even as several were shaken off by the beast. It roared out when more men popped into existence and pinned the beast down. "And stay down! Rasengan!" One of the men jumped up and with a blue orb in his hand slammed down on the beast's back. The ground dented in from the impact with a crack.

The beast let out a cry before it collapsed to the ground.

"They beat it?" I asked before the red, broken sky slowly mend itself and turn back to blue.

"Dear!" Father collapsed to his knees and wheezed out. "Let me see your shoulder!"

"I'm... fine... Just got... dizzy all of..." Father groaned as he curled up.

"Let me help you." A young man said as he stood next to Father. He put his hand on Father and stream came off Father's shoulder and other wounds. "Are you all alright?" The young man grinned at Mother and me. "Seems I got here just in the knick of time." The young man scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"He has no ears," I spoke without thought.

"Eh?" The young man looked at me dumbfounded before his eyes drifted up. "Wait a second... Why are you all wearing ears atop your heads?"

"They are our ears!" I fumed with a puffed up tail.

"Tails too?!" The young man recoiled from me. "Just... where did I end up? This is nowhere near the Elemental Nations."

"I guess you haven't seen Demi-humans before," Father said but stayed kneeled down. "Thank you... But the villagers..."

"Already on it." The young man pointed back to the sea. I turned and gasped in awe. Men ran across the water and snatched up the villagers. The men bought them back to the shore. "Just what is going on? One minute I was reading a book while on forced rest... Next, I am in the middle of a war zone."

"I think... this is the prophesied waves of destruction." Father sighed out. "Somehow... We have defeated the first boss of the waves. If the stories are to be taken seriously."

"I might have been prophesied as one of the Children of Prophecy, but I know this ain't any prophecy I know of." The young man said with furrowed brows. "It's almost like the Fourth World War all over again."

"World... War?" Mother asked before she gasped. "That shield..." On the young man's arm was a small shield. It had a green gem in the middle that glowed in the sunlight. "The Shield Hero..."

"You mean this jealous bugger?" The young man looked at the shield. "She refuses to let me use any weapons... Upside, my techniques are still effective... Though seemingly weaker."

"To think we would be saved by one of the Legendary Heroes," Father laughed out before he wheezed again. "It seems... I got hit... harder than I thought."

"Odd. You should be healed." The young man said with a bit of worry. "Let me-SEE!!" He yelped out as his arm was yanked by the shield towards the beast. "Not... right... now, Shield!" He fought against the pull before it won and the gem tapped onto the beast. The corpse completely disappeared into the gem. "Ah, that's neat and all, but it could have...Oh, ramen."

"Hero!" Mother shouted as the young man collapsed onto the ground. "Are you alright?"

"Fine... I think I pulled what Teacher Kakashi often does." The young man laughed out weakly with a weak smile. "Little Sakura was right on I was pushing myself too hard. I am low on chakra."

"Chakra?" I asked before my ears twitched. Men in various armors and holding weapons came up upon the cliff. I hid behind Mother as she swiped the young man up by his arm.

"I thought the beast went this way." One of the men said before another smirked.

"Seemed it was dealt with... But I heard the governor died."

"It's not demi-human terrority anymore."

"Hey, what would happen if-"

"Nothing." Another man stepped forward with his sword drawn. "With the governor dead, demi-humans have no rights just like in the rest of the country. And the price for slaves is ripe for the picking."

"Honey... Run." Father said as he managed to get back on his feet. "Take-"

"No. Raphtalia... Promise to be a good girl," Mother took steps back towards the cliff. "Hero, promise me one thing."

"What?"

"Protect my daughter."

"Nooooo!" Mother grabbed me and thrown both the young man and myself off the cliff. The man managed to grab hold of me in mid-air and we both crashed into the water below. Violent bubbles filled my vision before my head broke the surface. "Mommy! Daddy!" I screamed out as the young man and I were dragged out to the sea by the currents.

Author Note: Howdy. Long time no update. This story is basically the rewrite of The Healer's Daughter as I decided to restart it do things a bit differently than the story turning to a recap of Rising of the Shield Hero as it was starting to turn into. So here is the trial run. If ya don't like this and the next two chapters, I will retry the rewrite. So let me know in the comments. Like? Dislike?


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry if I can only be a flotation device." The young man... No, the hero, let out a laugh as we floated on our backs in the dark. I tired myself out fighting the current long ago. "But, rest. We need to conserve our stamina."

I nodded and shuddered from the cold wind.

"I don't recognize any of the stars," Hero said and I glazed up at the bright lights above. "Then again... I've never been good with remembering star patterns and all that stuff."

"Hero... I'm scared."

Mother and Father... What had happened to them?

Kiel... Lifana... All my friends...

What had happened to the village?

"It's alright." I felt calmer when Hero rubbed my head. "I will protect you. That is my ninja way."

"Nin... ga?" I asked before I glanced to the side. "A boat!" I chimed out as energy surged inside me at the sight of one of the smaller fishing boats. It wasn't in good condition, but it still floats on the water. I swam towards it and got on board with ease. "Come on! Give me your hands!" I held out my hands to Hero.

"Hand," Hero said as he sloppily swam over and took my hands with one hand. "Thanks anyways." I gritted my teeth as I yanked him into the boat. He climbed in and collapsed onto his back once in the small boat. "At least we can both rest now."

"We are so far away," I whimpered as I saw the faint lights of flames in the distance. At least, I think they were flames.

"But we are alive," Hero pointed out in a matter of fact tone. "Once we rest up, we will head back... And find your parents."

"What?" I looked at Hero in shock.

"I will find them." Hero grinned at me. "I know it will be a while before I get back to Konoha... And your mom did save me back there... So I owe them a saving back."

"But... How will we get back to shore?" I said as horror filled me. The sail on the boat was torn as well as its holdings broken. I dashed around in search for paddles, yet found none. There wasn't even any nets or other provisions the sailors kept on their boats.

"Just rest," Hero adjusted himself and held up a scroll. "We are in no condition to even try moving to shore."

"But... Without a sail or-"

"I got an idea, but it starts with a good rest." Hero unfurled the scroll and a blanket appeared out of pure smoke. "I wished I took my clothes with me, but at least I got the basics."

"You're a magician?" I asked in awe that something came out of nowhere.

"No. A ninja." Hero corrected. "We won't get much sleep, but some is better than none." Hero motioned me over and I took the blanket from him. I laid next to him and closed my eyes.

Next thing I know, the sun greeted us with a new day. Hero was up and somehow had a meal ready for me. An odd cup with noodles in it was put before me.

"Never go anywhere without my ramen stash." Hero hummed as he gave me a seeming fork, but it also looked like a spoon? "Little Sakura got me these after the war. Handy little tools."

"Okay." I took some noddles and blew on them. I nibbled a little on the noodles and my tail fluffed up.

"Awesome, right?"

"No."

"What?!"

The noodles were mushy and salty. The texture was weird and nothing like I ever had. Still, food was food. I forced myself to eat the strange dish and finished it. "Agh... My mouth feels abused."

"But ramen is the food of-"

"It tasted okay... Just... really weird." It wasn't horrible... But the aftertaste and feel in my mouth were horrible.

"Odd... Maybe it is due to being processed ramen." Hero looked at my empty cup carefully. "Fresh ramen is always the best."

"Maybe..." But what was the word processed? "I can't see the shore," I whined out with looking around us. Only the sea to the horizon.

"It's that way." Hero pointed and I stinted my eyes only to shake my head. "I know. The currents were stronger than expected. However, I have the perfect solution to this."

"Solution?" Hero moved to the side of the boat. He leap out and I gapped as he stood on the water.

"Good. Adding a solider pill got me back in shape... Okay, sort of," Hero pouted as he backed to the boat. "Hop onto my back. It's still a distance, but I don't trust myself to carry you with my arm."

"Okay," I said and did as he told. "How can you walk on water?"

"This is nothing for ninja." Hero laughed at me. "It's actually a training exercise for us." I almost bit my tongue when he sprinted across the waves. The shore quickly came into view and my heart sank as we got closer and closer to the harbor town.

The town was in ruins with buildings either smoldering or destroyed. Not a sign of life appeared when we have gotten onto land. I hid my face into Hero's hair to avoid the sight of the corpses that had washed ashore.

"Hello? Anyone here?" Hero shouted as he walked the streets. I shuttered at each footstep through the rubble.

"Another survivor?"

"I don't... Wait?! He's the guy who saved me."

"Me too!"

My head shot right up and my heart lifted. Some of the villagers alive... More children than adults.

"Raphtalia? Is that Raphtalia?" I saw an old man that was my neighbor. "Did your parents made it?"

"I..."

"So those guys hadn't come this way." Hero said as he let me down, "Is there where we can use as a stronghold? There are way too many children to defend."

"Defend?" The old man asked before a shout gotten our attention.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

There were some men in armor pointed swords at the adults nearby.

"Ahahaha!" One barked out in laughter. "I'd heard that there were still some demi-humans alive here. Guess it is true!"

"And this area is no longer protected."

"Run away from them!" Hero barked out and dashed forward. "Rasengan!"

I gasped out as faster than my sight, one of the older villagers was cut right in the stomach. One of the armor men got hit by Hero's glowing ball and he gasped out blood as he was blown away.

"What the?!"

"What are you doing?" The armor men turned their swords to Hero. "We are the castle knights! Your actions can be seen as treason, boy!"

"I am not from this country, so I don't know what a knight is." Hero sighed as he blocked a sword thrust with his shield. "But, I can't let you murder these people! Run!"

"Right!"

"This way!"

"Dammit! Don't let them get away!" The leader of the group shouted. "Kill the old and capture the women and children!"

"As if I let you! Multi-Shadow Clone Technique!" Hero multiplied right before my eyes. However, everyone panicked. I barely could tell what was going on. A villager fell near me and blood seeped from her body.

"Well, well," I looked up in horror at a man with a sick smile on his lips. "You'll earn me some-"

"Rasengan!" The man shot past me and Hero quickly scooped me up. "Dammit, they are everywhere."

The armor men or Hero? I didn't know what Hero meant.

All I know is I saw yellow before nothing else.


	3. Chapter 3

When I came to, I was inside what was left of the clock tower. The flag of our lord fluttered against the wall as the night sky shined stars on us.

"Raphtalia, are you alright?" My friend Lifana asked while she sat next to me. Kiel stood nearby and held onto a sword almost his size.

"Yeah," I sat up and looked around. All my friends and other children from the village laid and sat in the space. Some sobbed quietly while others seemed to stare out into space. "Where..." I then gulped in horror. "Are we... captured?"

Was Hero... Was Hero... dead?

"No... But..." Lifana looked away from me.

"Only we survived," Keil answered as he kept his eyes on the makeshift door. "All the adults are dead or gone."

"But, what of-" Hero came through the makeshift doorway with a pot under his arm. "Hero!" I jumped up and gripped onto Hero's leg.

"Ah! You're awake." Hero knelled down and ruffled my hair. "You had me worried for a bit."

"Sorry." I said, "But... You're hurt!" There were blood and various cuts all over Hero's body.

"Don't worry. Kurama got them and I am about to clean them anyways." Hero said as he put the pot on a small cooking fire and I saw it was filled with water. "Those guys were stronger then they looked."

"And... And where are they now?"

"Dead. Some got away, but I buried the dead... I'm sorry... I ran out of chakra again."

"What?" I asked before Hero pointed at his wounds. I got closer and gasped with seeing small bits of steam coming off them. "You are healing?!"

"No. Kurama is healing me." Hero corrected, "I'm out of chakra and couldn't heal any of the injured. I even kept to my basic attacks and still ran dry by the end of the fight." Hero looked at his hand and clenched his fist. "It's like my chakra is not mine anymore."

"So, what now?" Keil asked with dagger eyes. "We are in the middle of enemy terrority."

"But this is our village!" Lifana cried out as tears formed in her eyes. "Why did the knights... Why are humans so...Hic."

"Greed is a powerful thing." Hero's voice became gravely and deep. "Hatred, too... Kurama is right. Do you know where it is safe for you all?" Hero turned to me. "I can't leave you guys here."

"Hm... We are too far away." I whimpered and looked down. There were demi-human countries... But I didn't know where to go. And Mommy and Daddy told me the border was hard to pass for demi-humans who didn't have papers. We were all too young to have papers to properly pass through the border.

"So escorting you to safety is out of the question for now." Hero sighed and looked over the clock tower. "I wonder if the toads could take you guys in and I go to that safe place for you all?"

"T-oads?" I asked as hero took off his shirt and I gasped. "Your... your-"

"I lost it before ending up here." Hero said as he took the boiling water off the flame. "A war just ended in the Elemental Nations."

"So this whole time... you've been fighting with one arm?!" Keil shouted in horror. "No wonder you couldn't save anyone!"

"Keil!" I shouted at the boy and slapped him in the face. "He saved me! And he saved as many as he could! He is just one person."

"Technically not with my signature technique... But I understand your frustration." Hero took a rag and wet it with the hot water. He hissed as he began to clean his wounds. "Even if we won the war... A lot of people died. Some I feel I could have prevented... But I had to accept that even I can't do everything." Hero frowned and scrubbed his side hard. "Even if I hate it."

"But... what will we do?" Another child asked through her tears. "All the adults are gone... How will we get food and water?"

"There's no way we can build houses."

"Or fight back... There have to be monsters roaming around as well."

"How will we survive?"

"Even the Shield Hero couldn't-"

"Everyone!" I stepped forward, "We can't just abandon this place... There are those who might be still out at sea." Everyone looked at me with shock and horror. "We can't just sit here and do nothing. So, why don't we rebuild the village?"

"But the bad guys..."

"We will have to learn to fight," I said shakily.

I never fought before... but... but Mommy and Daddy told me to smile. I forced a smile on my face and stood strong.

"If we can't do it, we will die. Do you think our family and friends would want us to die after we survived so much?"

"Raphtalia..."

"We got the Shield Hero, too. We may have a struggle, but we can't just sit here and waste away! That would be worse than being sold into slavery." Everyone began to whisper and give me strained looks. "So, will you all help me rebuild?"

"Actually... Maybe making a base here can be possible." I shifted my attention to Hero. "I will help as much as I can." Then Hero's eyes turned glowing red. "I think I can help with the raider problem." An evil smirk crossed the Hero's face.

"How?" One of the braver kids asked.

"Oh, you'll see," Hero chuckled. "You'll see."

Everyone went silent after that. I couldn't sleep a wink as every sound made me twitch and panic. After a few hours, the sun began to rise into the sky.

"Alright, Kurama, time to come out!" Hero shouted once he was outside the tower. The ground shook and I bolted out of the tower. "Huh? Aren't you bigger than this?" I gasped at the monster that towered over the village now next to the clock tower.

"As if I am leaving you without any of my chakra." The monster growled with his sharp teeth showing. "An eighth of myself is enough to protect this area."

"Oh... Yeah. Forgot you could do that." Hero laughed before seeing me gaping at him. "Meet Kurama the Nine-Tails. He is my friend and will help keep the raiders at bay along with rebuilding."

"Hey, I said only the raiders."

"But if you help make some things, it would be much faster," Hero whined out. "I might be able to multiple myself, but if you could lift some of the materials for the kids..."

"Tch. Fine." Kurama snorted before turning his head. "Well, time for me to start." Kurama launched himself over the village and landed hard enough to make the ground shake. "How dare you come here, scum!"

Distance shouts and screams barely registered to my ears. I just looked at Hero and then Kurama in the distance and back to Hero.

"What? Why not spread a rumor that a powerful beast taken up residence in this area." Hero grinned as he looked over the clock tower. "Now, we need to figure out where to make our base."

"Are you really a hero?" Keil scoffed as his eyes focused on Kurama.

"Never said I was one, but I will do everything in my power to help ya'll out." Keil blushed when a grumbled filled the air and it was too close to be Kurama. "But, first, breakfast... Thank goodness I kept my ration stash on me." Hero laughed out as his own stomach protested as well.


	4. Chapter 4

We decided first thing to be done was to make a stronghold. Hero explained that with the raiders, living in houses wouldn't be smart. Add in Kurama needing to move around to keep the raiders at bay... We decided hiding in plain sight would be best.

"I thought I was only lifting materials," Kurama complained as he destroyed some of the somewhat intact houses. "Why am I destroying this place?"

"For materials," Hero answered as us kids gathered up wood, stone, and other debris.

I was actually proud of my idea.

Hero said we needed a hiding place to safely stay and train at. Trying to rebuild the houses would only bring forth more raiders and trouble...

Hence I proposed we make a fort around the clock tower with the debris. Some of the kids were against it at first... But they all came around after being allowed to go into the remaining buildings first to gather everything salvageable.

Thanks to Hero, we had plenty of carpenters to build up the walls and roof of the fort. He connected everything to the clock tower before we took the debris and covered up the fort. Kurama helped, too, adding debris to the top.

By the end of the day, we had what looked like a giant debris pile on the outside... But the inside was a several room fort with room for us survivors. Kurama went back on his patrol and I managed to fall asleep...But I awoke in the middle of the night. The other girls and Lifana said I was screaming.

I didn't remember the dream, but I kept my smile on. I couldn't let the others down.

Next morning, we faced our biggest problem.

"This is really all that is left?" Hero looked over the provisions we managed to gather yesterday. Much of the food left was a few can goods and dried meats and vegetables. Add in the stash of odd food from the hero... "Probably only a few days worth since you guys and gals are still growing."

"So we need to go and get food," Kiel said as he looked over our meager pantry. "As if the humans would sell us food."

"Well, my reserves should be recovered enough, so..."

"What are you doing?" I shouted when Hero bit his thumb. He then made some funny motions with his hand and slammed it on the ground.

"Summoning technique!" A puff of smoke came from Hero's hand and an... odd creature appeared where nothing was before. It was green with white hair and seemed old. "Good... I can... still summon toads."

"Hero!" Kiel and I caught Hero before he fell over.

"Sorry. Misjudged my reserves." Hero sat down, "Sorry for the sudden summoning, Grandpa Sage."

"Sorry, my dinner!" The old creature hopped over to Hero. "What have you been doing? Your reserves are near empty!"

"I... I don't know." Hero huffed. "One moment I was reading a book while on forced bed rest... Next thing I know I am in the middle of a war zone. Since then, its like I can't recover chakra like I used to."

"Ah... Boy, where are we exactly?" The creature... No, Grandpa Sage looked around.

"No clue. Just pretty dang far from Leaf." Hero said while rubbing his forehead. "However, that's the least of my worries. I need supplies from Konoha. If not from there," Hero gulped, "From you toads."

"Gladly... But boy... This place has no chakra."

"Eh?" Hero stared at Grandpa Sage. "What's chalk-ra?" I asked and cocked my head to Hero. His eyes turned to gold for a moment before his face turned sour.

"Boy, you sure know how to get yourself in situations," Grandpa Sage shook his head with a chuckle. "You're clearly in another world."

"How... Have you..." Hero put his face into a hand. "How does this happened?"

"It's not common, but not rare... Rare is more your case as your human." Grandpa Sage hopped to Hero and put its webbed hand on the shield. "This seems to be the key to how you were summoned."

"So, can I return home, Shield?" Hero asked the weapon.

"What kind of idiot talks to-" Kiel jumper when Hero yelled and stared into space. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Shield... Has a manual... And is that me?

"What?"

"She also said I can't return home till I defeat this Wave thingie." Hero groaned. "Is it alright if I go to my world just for supplies and have one of the toads summon me back here?" Hero gave a flat look to Shield. "Thanks for nothing. Ah, Grandpa Sage, you best not try reserve summoning me. It might not end well from what Shield told me."

"Understood," Grandpa Sage sighed. "That's the trouble with these other world summonings. At least you can summon us, so that is the bright side."

"Wait... Could you reserve summon-"

"No. It would not be wise to do that," Grandpa Sage looked at me. "Chakra exists here, but not in the vast amounts as our world. There is no telling what effects they will suffer from such exposure. But I do sense a lot of natural energy here. In fact, it's very high so that might be why chakra is so low. "

"Now that you mention it," Hero's eyes turned gold again and he stood up. "I can do Sage Mode without any effort. It feels almost natural." He flexed his hand and let his eyes turn normal again. "So the reason my reserves can't recover..."

"Yes. Lack of chakra around you to assist in recovery, " Grandpa Sage snapped his fingers. "I ask them to send chakra enriched foods to help recover your chakra. Any other things outside rations and food?"

"Can you also get weapons and gardening supplies?" Hero asked, "These kids need help surviving here and I will help them out. If we can get a war garden going would be great."

"I don't know if crops from our world will grow here, but you can try." Grandpa Sage shrugged. "My recommendation is meditating and rest as much as you can before you start training to go against this Wave."

"Agreed, " Hero sighed as he looked over our food supply. "If I wasn't summoned straight to the first wave... I probably not realize this problem before it was too late."

"True. Well, let me get together a summoning scroll for you to save on chakra." Grandpa Sage then pointed at Hero. "And don't think you can keep at it like before. Think of your reserves as precious, boy."

"Yes, sir." Hero laughed meekly as Grandpa Sage disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Another world... Little Sakura is gonna kill me."

"But what is this chalk-ra stuff you were talking about?" I asked Hero.

"Ah... How to explain it?" Hero crossed his arms and closed his eyes into slits. "Think of it as combining two liquids to make a new one, but this new liquid is energy in your body that can be used to affect the outside world."

"Combining two-Gasp!" Lifana ran over to Hero and held his hand. Her eyes widened, "Hero! You mustn't use that chalk-ra! It uses your health power with your magic power!"

"Huh?" Hero blinked at my friend. "Health power... magic power?"

"Your life force!" Lifana huffed, "Your hands are cold and clammy, which is a sign of health power being low. Momma suffered from an illness once and the doctor told me it ate at her health power. Check your status."

"My status?" Hero asked before his eyes widen and he stared into space. "So this thing... Amazing, I can see everything including my abilities and such..." Hero turned pale, "And if I am reading this... My health power is eaten to the bone."

"So no Chalk-ra!"

"But how can I use my techniques?"

"Just use magic power as everyone else does for magic!"

"What is magic?" Hero stared at us with confusion. "I never heard of this word 'magic.'"

"It's..." We all looked at each other. "Well, Daddy used it to fight. He would say a chant and then a ball of light come from his hand." I explained best I could... But Hero still looked confused. "It's like a limb… Er… Kind of like a part of you, but you never had. You… Uh… Oh, you become one or something? Er… Sorry."

"You mean that feeling that wraps around you?" I nodded. "Maybe...Still, some of the books-" Hero stopped and stood up. "One second. Kurama found someone."

"Found?" My heart jumped as we followed Hero outside. We walked to the edge of town where Kurama sat.

"First raiders, now a monster!" A person in armor roared as he swung at Kurama. "I will not allow you to harm the people here!" His strikes were blocked with just a claw and received an annoyed growl. "Haah-What?" The hero appeared right next to the armored person and held the blade in his hand.

"Could you calm down?" Hero asked as he grinned. "If Kurama hadn't attacked you, that means you have no negative thoughts."

"What do you mean?" The person took off his helmet and I gasped, "This monster had to come from the-" The young lady saw us and her eyes widen. "There are children here."

"Lady Seaetto!" I cried out in joy to see the lord's daughter alive. "I'm glad to see you!"

"Me too... I was worried raiders had hit here." Lady Seaetto warily looked at Kurama. "This beast hasn't hurt you?"

"Why would I hurt a bunch of pups?" Lady Seaetto jumped at Kurama's hiss. "You best take her to the stronghold. I sense more raiders coming."

"Got it." Hero did a thumbs up to Kurama. "You look beat as me."

"Yes... I've been fighting for a while." Lady Seaetto huffed but followed us back to our fort. "Thank you for helping... Wait..." She looked over the other children once we entered the fort where the children were busy making what they could from what we salvage. "They are all children?!"

"Yes. I failed to protect everyone." Hero gritted his teeth. "If not for their greed... I might have not saved these kids."

"I see." Lady Seaetto sighed. "So I got here too late."

"More... I am not used to this world's rules." Hero looked at Lady Seaetto. "Hey, how much do you know about this Shield Hero thing?" He held his shield up for her to see.

"Shield... Hero?" Lady Seaetto gasped, "You're one of the Legendary Heroes?!"

"I guess," Hero sighed, "Shield said I am... But I know from experience the title hero is not simply given to a person." Hero said down on the ground. "So, can you explain what is going on? I know the wave is some war, but why are these guys against these children?"

"Right. Heroes come from another world," Lady Seaetto sat down before Hero and my friends and I did the same. "This country is human supremacy, so demi-humans have little rights. The Queen was trying to change that and keep peace with our neighbors, so had my father, the lord of these lands, establish a village for demi-humans."

"Which he died if I guess he was this governor guy, right?" Lady Seaetto nodded to Hero and his eyes turned to slits. "So these children are being discriminated only for having ears and tails of a monster?"

"Yes. As with other differences, that is the gist." Lady Seaetto growled as she clenched her fists. "For our own countrymen and my fellow knights to turn on their own people... I feel ashamed."

"And I thought I fought bad people before," Hero stared in the distance. "I know, Kurama. Focus on your end."

"You are speaking to the fox all the way from here?"

"The monster came from inside him," I spoke up.

"Still inside me." Hero corrected. "Only a piece of him is out there... And he's the reason I can't justify these guys' actions. Usually, there's a good reason someone turns rotten... But these guys..." Hero snorted and shut his mouth.

"It is sadly how this country is." Lady Seaetto let out a sigh. "My name is Eclair Seaetto. I am in your debt for protecting the people my father and I cherish."

"It's too early to say that." Hero slumped his shoulders. "We need to survive in this place before we can truly protect anything."

"Are there any who wish to learn to fight?" Eclair asked, "I don't know how helpful I can be, but I am a trained knight. I can fight and train anyone who wants to fight as well."

"I do." Kiel stood up and held out his sword. "Teach me to use this."

"Me too!" I shouted with determination. "I... can't do much... But I want to protect my friends."

"I... I wanna stop anyone else from dying." Lifana surprised me with softly speaking out. "Please teach us."

"Anyone else?" Eclair asked the other children, yet none of them came forward. Some even looked ready to cry at the talk of fighting. "Alright. It's a start."

"And I will request for back-up from my village," Hero sighed. "But when we get it I don't know. We are just beginning to recover from war."

"I under-Wait... You have contact with your world?!" Eclair gasped out in shock.

"I can still summon toads... Just they can't summon me back as part of our agreement." Hero grinned at Eclair. "But, before you start with training... What is magic and can you teach me?"

"Gladly." Eclair smiled back.


	5. Chapter 5

Training started the next day... except...

"Hero, can you show us how to put a table together?"

"Hey, show me how to cook?"

"What are we to do about food?"

"One at a time!" Hero shouted as he was being pulled one way to another by the other children. I followed beside Hero to help him. "I can't be in more than one... Right, Shadow clones," Hero merrily laughed at the evil eyes some of the children gave him. "Let's see... How about-"

"No, Hero," I snapped at him. "Remember, no chakra!"

"Heh heh... Sorry." Hero bowed as he apologized.

"Why are you here!?" Kiel snarled as Eclair and Lifana followed him. "Are you suppose to train us?"

"I am, but-" A baby's cry interrupted Hero and a child in tears held an infant that sobbed away.

"I-I don't know-hic-why she keeps-hic-crying!" The child wailed and held the infant out at Hero. Hero took the infant and rubbed her back.

"There, there-Gugh." Hero's face turned slightly green. "No wonder you are so fussy. Do you have any diapers for this one?"

"Diapers?" The child asked in confusion. I also wondered what a diaper was.

"Any clothes like the one she is wearing," Hero pointed at the infant's bottom where a brownish cloth was. "If not, bring me some clothes and I'll make one."

"Got it," The child ran off as Hero took off the brownish clothe and everyone recoiled from the horrid stench.

"What is that? A weapon?" Lifana whimpered.

"No. A dirty diaper." Hero knelled to the ground and motioned to me. "Can you reach into my hip pouch and pull out my scroll?"

"Yes." I got the scroll and opened it up for him. He touched one part and mumbled for some rags and towels puffed into existence. I took a towel and laid it out for Hero to put the infant on. With his hand free, he used a rag to clean the infant's rear.

"Good. No sores, " Hero took a diaper from the child who ran up with several square clothes. "Now, this is how you make a diaper, " Hero lectured as he made a diaper and put it on the infant with just one hand.

"Amazing, " Eclair said as Hero picked up the infant that now giggled and snuggled up to Hero. "Are you married, Hero?"

"No, no, " Hero laughed as he bounced the infant. "Ninja do a large range of jobs. The lowest rank jobs included taking care of children. I often got stuck changing diapers on such missions."

"But isn't ninja fighters?" I asked as Hero gave the infant back to the now relieved child.

"We are, but we ninja still needed work during times of peace. The mission system made it so we still get an income and give us work no matter what." Hero said as he looked to another child. "Whatcha need?"

"We need tables and chairs to eat and work at, " The child frowned. "Can you show us how?"

"How many we salvaged?" Hero asked out of worry.

"Only a few chairs and three tables," which was being used for cooking. We had found some magic burners that survived along with pots and pans.

"What to do?" Hero mumbled out, "Have you built a raft before?"

"Yeah, " The child said with a nod.

"Make several flat bases similar to that. We will make legs for them later when I am done with training, but if you can find someone who can sew... We will make sitting cushions for chairs as that will be easier to store."

"Okay!" The child chimed before running off.

"Hey, what about food?" Another child whined out.

"I will be getting supplies soon, but could you scout out where we can make a garden to start growing crops and maybe have someone check the harbor to see the conditions of fishing boats and other fishing equipment?"

"But I'm hungry!"

"You have to wait when everyone else eats." The last child pouted, but gave up and went on to his task with gathering some other children.

"Now... Can we get to that training?" Hero turned to us with a strained smile.

"Hero, you are sure good with children," Eclair chuckled.

"More you and I are the only adults around here." Hero groaned out as we escaped to the outside of the fort. "Now I think I understand how Teacher Iruka feels with running a class."

"I see. So how should we begin with this training?" Eclair looked over Kiel, Lifana, and me. "Have any of you three any experience in fighting?"

"No."

"Nadda."

"Alright, then we will start with seeing how much stamina you three have. Follow me." Eclair started walking and we followed along. The walk soon turned into a run. Lifana was the first to have to stop with me a close second. Kiel lasted longer, but not much passed me.

"Pretty good for first-timers." Hero pulled out a canteen and offered it to Lifana. "Still, we are short on time. So... We will spar once you catch your breath."

"Spar?"

"Fight each other." I looked at Eclair in horror. "Are you sure that is a good idea? They have no experience in fighting."

"They will spar against me." Hero pulled out three blades from a holster on his leg and thrown them down before us. "My high defenses should allow them to get actual fighting experience without getting hurt. I want you three to come at me with everything you got."

"But, Hero, you could get hurt." Lifana stared at the knife before her.

"I don't think that is a problem." Hero laughed, "just go ahead and try."

"Haaaah!" Kiel snatched up a blade and ran right for Hero. "Don't look down on us!" Hero grabbed Kiel's wrist and spun him around. The blade in Kiel's hand now pointed to the back of his own head.

"Now that's the spirit." Hero chimed out, "You're gonna need that to get through training."He let go of Kiel and dodged Kiel's attempt of a backslash. "So, come at me. All of you."

"Yes," I shouted as I grabbed a blade and Lifana followed my example.

However, after an hour... Kiel, Lifana, and I were sprawled out on the ground and wheezed through the pain.

"Excellent. Seems you three at least got some good instincts on ya." Hero said, not winded at all from the constant dodging and blocking he had done.

"Hero, where have you been trained?" Eclair asked with a serious face. "You are a very skilled fighter without a blade."

"Thanks, but I've learned to fight from various sources. My latest fighting style addition comes from Frog Fu."

"Frog... Fu?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's the toads' fighting style." Hero held up his hand. "Speaking of which, I think it's time." Hero bit his thumb and made funny hand motions. "Summoning Technique!" Hero slammed his hand on the ground and in a puff of smoke, Grandpa Sage appeared. "Eh? Wasn't another toad suppose to-"

"Your case is not as good as first thought." Grandpa Sage held up a scroll. "Here is the scroll from Kakashi-boy."

"Thanks... But what is wrong?" Hero asked as he took the scroll.

"... The Great Toad Sage made a prophecy."

"Really?" Hero went wide-eyed at Grandpa Sage. "So soon after the war... Another threat to our world?"

"That's where things get..." Grandpa Sage groaned, "Well, I still think he is going senile."

"A prophecy?" Lifana asked, "like the prophecy here?"

"That the waves of destruction would way waste to the lands." Eclair sighed, "and only the four heroes can save it."

"Eh?! How did you know of it without me telling?!" Grandpa Sage recoiled at us.

"It was a prophecy that the disaster that happened here would." Hero explained what he learned from Eclair and me. "These waves will keep hitting and hence to repel them, four heroes from another world are summoned. Each with a weapon."

"And now the prophecy makes more sense." Grandpa Sage smacked his forehead. "Here is what the Honorable Old Geezer told me:"

 _Waves of destruction shall lay waste and four shall appear:_

 _A shield that protects the land of sages and delivers a sacred bird._

 _A spear whose heart of gold knowns no suffering and blind to negativity._

 _A sword who only sees strength in numbers and fights alone._

 _A bow who fires his arrow at anything he deems evil._

 _If these four do not work together, all shall be lost._

"That's... quite a prophecy from that geezer." Hero said with a bit of awe in his voice. "Sure better than that meeting with an octopus... Though I get how meeting Killer Bee would cause that one."

"I know... However, when paired with the knowledge of a prophecy here, it starts to make sense." Grandpa Sage said as he shrugged his shoulders. "However, due to orders from the Great Toad Sage... You will only get support from us, not Konoha."

"Oh, that's-what?!" Hero shouted in horror. "Did you not-"

"I did to an extent." Grandpa Sage pointed at the scroll. "I at least bought you seeds, food, and tools from your village. However, outside explaining your... condition, nothing more is given. I stressed to your Fire Shadow how important it is to not discuss what is going on with anyone in the village or outside it."

"Why is that?" I asked. "Don't his family have a right to know he is alright."

"I... have friends, no family." Hero answered, "She's right. They have a right-"

"Not when this is far more than a simple summoning." Grandpa Sage clicked his tongue. "Boy, you have gotten yourself right in the deep end and possibly with all us for the ride. We rather not let other summonings and people know that after the terror that was the Fourth Ninja World War."

"What's so bad?" Kiel asked. "The world is to end if the heroes don't do their job... The Shield Hero only got one arm, so he's not much of a big-Agh!" Kiel found himself double over on a pile of debris with a whistling Hero rested his hand behind his head.

"Our world might be included in that world-ending prophecy." Grandpa Sage let out a sigh. "We toads will give you full support. As well as a gift to assist in protecting this place."

"Wait, really?!" I stepped forward. "What can you do to help us?"

"It is part of the reason it is impossible for anyone to find Mt. Myoboku." Grandpa Sage looked around and spotted Kurama. "Could you ask the Nine-Tails to assist me?"

"What do you want?" Hero's voice became deep and gravely.

"Ah, so you are still inside him," Grandpa Sage nodded. "I need some of your chakra to set up an illusion technique. That way you won't have to constantly be on guard."

"Go meet the part of me over there and we can see what I can do." Hero snarled before he held his throat. "Ow, Kurama, easy on the growls." Hero groaned as Grandpa Sage summoned another toad with a riding saddle on top of its back that he hopped on before heading over to Kurama.

"So, does that mean we can go searching for those who got captured?" Lifana asked.

"Yeah. But we first got to get a system going for when we do leave this place," Eclair frowned at Hero. "However, to think you are a monster trainer as well."

"Monster?" Hero pointed at Grandpa Sage. "No. I am not. Grandpa Sage is just one of the toads I can summon. He isn't a monster nor is Kurama."

"I apologize for the assumption," Eclair said before turning to Hero. "However, we need to train, too."

"Yeah. No way I am gonna get rusty."

"No. Magic training." Hero went wide-eyed when Eclair held out her sword at him. "You asked me to teach you how to use it. I assume you never used magic before."

"Sort of." Hero sighed. "It's like... er, How you said it before?"

I gulped when Hero turned to me. "It's like a part of you, but not... Sort of that wraps around you when you reach for it."

"Yeah, that." I grinned as Hero rubbed my head. "I probably use magic power to make chakra with my health power."

"Then try holding onto my sword."

"Shield won't let me." Hero whined out.

"No. Just touch it." Eclair snorted. "My sword has bits of ore that make focusing magic power through it easier as I sometimes will add magic to my attacks."

"Oh, so..." Hero touched the blade and it turned completely black with a yellowish glow. "This feeling... its the same as toad oil!" Hero freaked out and back off. The blade turned back to normal. "How are you not turning into something or to stone?"

"To... stone?" I raised an eyebrow before I touched Hero's leg in his panic state.

"Huh-Gah?!" I felt my whole body become frizzled as a white light blinded me.

"Raphtalia!"

"She's glowing!"

I opened my eyes and was shocked to find my body lit with white light and dark markings all over my body. Hero was on the ground with his eyes covered with his hand.

"Geez, what the-" Hero went wide-eyed as he looked at me. "No way... A sage mode."

"Sage... mode?" I asked as I looked at my hand. The light then faded away and my body gained back weight. "Huh?" I flipped my hand over and over, yet there were no signs of the light or markings left.

"Sage mode is an empowered state that can be in by blending natural energy with one's chakra." Grandpa Sage said as he came back. "Boy, what just happened for a child with no training to enter a sage mode?"

"I touched Little Eclair's blade and it was like the toad oil... And Raphtalia touched me and she lit up." Hero said as he touched me again. There was no glowing this time. "How did that happened."

"Maybe... this natural energy you speak of is magic power to us." Eclair made her blade flash with flames and Grandpa Sage went wide-eyed. "But I never have seen a reaction like what your touch to my blade did... Is this due to this chakra you mentioned?"

"Yeah. It kind of looked like the staff I can make in my Six Paths Sage Mode." Hero said in awe. "Hey, hey, Grandpa Sage, can you get me some of that toad oil?"

"What!?" Grandpa Sage glared at Hero. "Didn't I tell you it will evaporate if... Wait... The climate here..."

"Yeah." Hero grinned. "I am only using it as an experiment... But if you are right that natural energy is magic power." Hero sat down and became very still.

"So I am like Hero?" I asked Grandpa Sage.

"With sensing your chakra... In this world, you have the potential to become a sage." Grandpa Sage said before Hero made a hand seal. "Boy, what are-"

"Hm," Hero mumbled before he spoke out. "In unison with power, shadows take shape! Shadow Clones!" Hero held out his hand and his shadow stretched out and turned into several versions of himself. "That... was weird." Hero stood up and studied his handiwork. "The words just came up in my mind and... puff."

"Ah, you just used magic instinctually?" Eclair asked in shock. "Amazing. These decoys look just like you." Eclair touched one of the clones.

"Hey! I ain't a decoy!" The clone protested.

"Usually we are decoys, though."

"Shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

"Hey hey!" Hero shouted, but two of the clones locked into a punching match. "Jeez. You just had to get them going."

"They... They are solid." Eclair gasped out.

"Yeah. But they can only... Wait a second," Hero looked at Eclair, "Attack one of my clones. I need to see something."

"Alright!" Eclair charged towards the two fighting clones and sliced right at them. Both of them backed off, but one had its hand cut and the other its cheek which bled.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Yeah...Wait, did Boss put in the chakra to make us sturdy?"

"No, idiot. He used natural energy inside."

"So... We tougher than normal Shadow Clones?"

"Seems like it as I just imagined you guys for normal clones that pop when hitting hard enough." Hero said before he smirked. "Okay, I need all you guys to spread out and explore the area. Your aim is to hunt beasts for food and gather any plants or materials that might seem useful to us."

"Yes, sir!" All the clones ran off before I could even blink.

"That should be a good test to see how durable my... magic shadow clones are." Hero chimed out. "So, Grandpa Sage, didn't you need to set up that illusion technique?"

"Yes, but it seems I will be visiting here more often," Grandpa Sage chuckled before returning to his task on hand.

"So, guess I need to add chakra training into our schedule." Hero sighed out with scratching the back of his head. "However, let's get stock of what Grandpa Sage got us and help get the fields going."

"Yes, sir!" I chimed out.

Finally, the next step to rebuilding the village. We walked over to where several children had been hoeing the ground with some makeshift tools. They were small strips of soil, but it was a start for us.

Hero unrolled the scroll and exposed the scribble-like writing within it. He put his hand on one of the bigger symbols encircled by the smaller writing. In a puff of smoke... Bags upon bags appeared with tools like hoes, sickles, and such.

"Good. They included fertilizer and other useful stuff." Hero picked up one of the bags... And the Shield devoured it. "Hey! That's not for you!" Hero shouted before his eyes widen as he stared into space.

"What did Shield said?" I asked before Hero picked up a hoe and it was absorbed into the shield. Before I could speak, the shield changed in a gust of wind from simple metal shield to one that had two small hoes on it.

"Farming Skill 1?" Hero asked before picking up other tools and even seeds and absorbed them into the shield. "So this is how Shield can help me fight the Waves."

"What do you mean?" I asked Hero and he looked at me. "Is your status showing you something?"

"Sort of. It seems I can gain special abilities from different shields. These shields I just got assist in farming."

"Skills for farming?" Eclair asked as Hero picked up a hoe. "How can those help?"

"If I think of this ability is similar to Wood Release... In unison with power, shadows take shape! Shadow Clones!" Hero formed several more clones. "Yosh! Time to get these fields into shape!"

The clones and Hero let out a war cry before attacking the ground. To my surprise, the ground seemed to glow a bit and come up easily for Hero. Within a few minutes, the small fields had become a big one. The Heroes then changed shields to an earthly looking one and laid out of some of the dirt within the bags. Last, they laid out the seeds with another shield and watered easily with a shield that looked like a flattened watering can.

All within an hour, Hero had done the work a farmer did within a day.

"I hope I keep these abilities after my job here," Hero chimed out as he wiped the sweat off his brow. "This makes gardening so much easier." The clones turned to shadows and returned to Hero's shadow. "Well... That's new."

"Amazing."

"Can we eat now?"

"The seeds have to grow, first." Hero laughed, "It is meal time, so let me make some stew." Hero laughed when some of the children cheered for meat. When we got to the fort and Hero unsealed the food part of the scroll.

"Hero... Is this... food from your world?" Various worm and bug-like creatures were laid out on the table along with strange cuts of meat and various plants.

"Some of it... is Toad Country food," Hero looked pale before he swallowed. "At least Granny Sage isn't cooking, so... I will try my best to make it edible."

"Edible?!" Eclair screamed out. "What do you mean by that?!"

"More to-" Hero's eyes widen as I saw a shadow merged into his own shadow. "Dang... My clone just pulled... Er, never mind... My clone just got a shield to help us out." Hero held out his arm for it to turn into an egg-shaped shield. "Time for battle!"

"Wait, Hero, what the hell are you going to makeeeee!"

The stew actually came out tasty... Even if it looked more like something that would attack us. I was just happy not to have that weird tasting ramen.


	6. Chapter 6

A week passed and Hero's miracle bloomed. Fields of various plants had matured and offered various fruits and vegetables ripe for the picking. Hero's clones took care of the harvest as with other chores children needed help with.

"Ugh! Why are we doing this?" Kiel protested as he got up from the cross legged position all five of us settled in. "What's the point of staying still? Don't you move to fight?"

"It's training for using chakra and natural energy." Hero calmly replied, "Though I know the feeling. I wasn't that good with meditation when I was around your age. Still, we made quite a bit of progress."

Progress I was proud of. We could run for almost an hour before too tired to go on and we could feel chakra. The weird thing was trying to use it. It was almost like a bundled knot. The more I pulled on it, the knot seemed to become tighter instead of loosening and spreading out as Hero described it.

"Hero, I think some actual combat experience would be best for our students." Eclair stretched and stood up. "If we don't start increasing their levels, then all this training would be worthless."

"Increasing their levels?" Hero opened an eye with a cocked brow. "I thought the sparing was their combat experience."

"How do-Right, another world, Eclair smacked her forehead. "Combat experience and skill are important, but with levels, those two are multiplied. Your level is a numeral representation of your strength. The higher the number, the strong you are... At least in theory. You only gain levels through the experience of killing monsters and opponents."

"What?" Hero looked horrified. "What kind of system makes you stronger for killing things? Sure, I killed monsters and such, but I try not to do so when I can and I still have grown stronger."

"That is your world, Hero," I pointed out. "Even we know you have to kill to gain experience points." However, there were many people who couldn't take to fighting. That was why many low-level people had strong skills in non-combat areas like farming and making things. "Once you get enough experience points, you level up."

"So that's what those weird chimes and messages I got were about." Hero looked dumbfounded by his status. "I'm level 30. It has slowed down since the raiders stopped coming around here due to the illusion and Kurama."

"That low!?"

"What?" Hero asked with a perplex face before looking at Shield. "Shield says my level was reset when I was summoned, but my status from my world carried over outside my attack and defense."

"So... You gained thirty levels in over a week?" Kiel now sounded a bit in awe.

"You truly are a hero as such an extreme jump in levels is harmful to people." Eclair shook her head at Hero. "However, how you gained that many levels when you been here the whole time?"

"My clones," Hero jumped up to his feet. "One of the perks of Shadow Clones is anything they experience is transferred to me... Seems it goes for experience points too."

"Then teach us and we can use clones to fight for us," Kiel grinned as his tail perked up.

"No. Shadow Clones are dangerous as you split your energies in half for each clone you make. My reserves are really huge, hence I can manage it... Though, that was with chakra. I haven't checked with my magic version."

"Then I will do it," Kiel held his hand up, "In unison with power, shadows take shape! Shadow Clones!" Kiel shouted and...

Nothing happened.

"What? I said the incantation right?" Kiel stared at his hands.

"You just can't say the incantation for it to work." Eclair chuckled at Kiel.

"Ah, right, the hand position!" I put my middle finger over my ring finger. "In unison with power, shadows take shape! Shadow Clones!"

And... nothing.

"Better, but... Er, there's more to making clones than just that." Hero sheepishly laughed as he scratched the back of his head. "You got to... er, feel yourself spilt? Become broken? It's hard to describe."

"Hmph!" My hair fluffed up as I made the hand seal again. Maybe I needed a touch of chakra. I pulled on it, but I tried to just take a piece. Come on... Break for me.

I felt a tiny spark come off the knot and my eyes widened as the words came to my mouth. "I am one with the source of all power. Hear my words and understand them. Shadows take shape! Shadow Clone!" My shadow reacted and stretched out. The stretched out form turned into me.

"Yes! I-" My legs buckled and Hero caught me before I fell to the ground. I shook my head and looked at my shocked clone before it turned back to black and went into my shadow. "What happened?"

"As I said, it splits your energies into half for each clone made," Hero helped me stand back up. "Even though most of the energies return once the clone disburses, it still is a strain on the user."

"And at level one, such magic is almost impossible," Eclair said with shock. "Raphtalia, you're a Tanuki Demi-human correct?" I nodded to her. "I heard they specialize in Light and Shadow magic, so maybe your Shadow Clone spell is a natural fit to her."

"True."

"I am one with the source of all power. Hear my words and understand them. Shadows take shape! Shadow Clones!" Lifana chanted and her shadow stretched and formed... Three tiny, doll-like Lifana's. "I did it!" She cheered while huffing. "You need chakra to start the spell, but only a little. And if you break the magic energy off like the chakra... Heh heh! So cute!" She hugged her miniature selves.

"Now that's just cheating!" Kiel pouted and stomped his foot.

"I agree," Hero pouted with tears in his eyes. "It took me an hour or so to learn to do shadow Clones when I first learned of them. "But if it saves on the strain, then maybe it is for the best." Hero shrugged and looked to Eclair. "So where should we take them? The monsters around here are a bit strong."

"Actually, I think it would be best we go to the adventurer's guild and register as adventurers in the closest town," Eclair answered with a smile. "That way we can earn money for the village and get these three much-needed combat experience."

"But what about the raiders?" I asked, "Wouldn't they want to try and capture us."

"Hence why we will become adventurers," Eclair hummed. "Demi-human adventurers have protected some thanks to the adventurer's guild is a separate entity to the government that runs in various countries. Plus, if we form a party, people will likely think our students are slaves instead of being free."

"I see. So we will make a team with two teachers and three students," Hero mused out. "That should work."

"Ah, could you make the party, Hero?" Eclair asked. "Maybe the experience from your clones might assist in leveling if you are the leader."

"Er... Aren't we already a team?"

"Shield... If you can hear me," Eclair asked with looking at Shield. "Explain parties for Hero."

"What do-Dammit!" Hero recoiled in shock. "Jeez, don't... Wait, so parties allow for experience to be shared?"

"Yes." Eclair nodded, "Thank you, Shield."

"Now you're talking to an object?" Kiel skeptically looked at Eclair.

"It is the Legendary Shield, after all." Eclair shrugged. "However, forming a party also shares the status of the party members to each other."

"Handy," Hero said as he motioned his hand in the air.

 **Shield Hero invited you to his party: Yes or No?**

I accepted the party request and quickly found everyone's status in mine. I looked at Hero's health and magic power.

"Hero... Just what the hell are you?" Kiel asked as Eclair looked like a fish and Lifana just stared into space. Me? I just glanced back and forth between Eclair's and Hero's status. The numbers on Hero was amazing. That was the only way I could put it.

"A human sacrifice." All four of us went pale. "Er... That came out wrong, did it?"

"You... You were sacrificed?" I whimpered out in horror.

"Yeah. Kurama was sealed inside me, making me a human sacrifice." Hero pointed at the sleeping form of Kurama. "Thankfully, the new treaty made due to the war will give the Tailed Beasts their freedom back along with stop the practice of sealing the Tailed Beasts into people... Well, at least in cases like mine where I was an infant or if the person and/or Tailed Beast are unwilling."

"So, Kurama is super powerful?" Kiel narrowed his eyes at Hero.

"Yeah, but having a huge amount of chakra was a pain to get any control what so ever over it." Hero said as his eyes dazed over. "I still am wasteful with my chakra even now... Which I am glad for the magic version of them. I am finally recovering my chakra a bit."

"A bit is an understatement as your status looks like your ready to kill over!" Lifana screeched, "You better not dare use any chakra!"

"I won't." Hero sighed, "I've been working to try and get my other techniques in the magic form... But no success so far, hence I only allowed my clones to use chakra so that they can experiment for me."

"Still... Best you just defend when we are fighting as a party," Eclair finally said after her gapping. "Your health needs to recover before the next wave... Maybe we can find a healer to heal you to speed up the process."

"Alright," Hero nodded, "Let me unseal some stuff and we will set off."

I beamed with excitement. I never really been out of the village outside when Daddy went to see the governor.

My excitement quickly turned to dread when we went through the mist that hid our stronghold. All sorts of questions hit me.

Will we be alright?

Can I really kill a living thing?

What if we crossed any other people? Would they attack us?

"Calm down," I jumped when Hero ruffled my hair. "I'll protect you."

"Right," I took a deep breathe as we continued on a bush trail Lifana remembered going with her father. I remembered he would hunt local game when not helping the sailors.

"Booo!" A Usapil jumped out of the bushes and charged right at Hero. It scratched at the Shield before he kicked it back.

"Gotcha!" He grabbed onto the Usapil and held onto it. The Usapil bit down onto Hero's arm, but only a metal cling came from its attack. "Alright! Who wants to make their first kill?"

All three of us stood their silently. Lifana looked ill while Kiel was stiff. I took my blade into my hand and gulped down the lump in my throat.

I had to smile. I had to be the villager's strength.

"Haaah!" I cried out and stabbed the Usapil. Blood spilled out onto me and I trembled.

"Harder! Do you want it to suffer?" Hero barked and I tightened the grip on my knife and stabbed the creature over and over till it slumped in Hero's grip. I dropped my blade and looked at the blood on my hands.

Blood... Just like from that day, where the villagers screamed and ran from-

"Raphtalia!" I blinked and Hero was holding another Usapil. "Are you alright? You spaced out."

"Ah," What was that just now? I pondered as Kiel shouted and took the kill this time. My stomach flipped at the sight of the two Usapil corpses, but I forced a smile on my face.

I had to be strong. I had to get stronger.

If not... If not...

I may never see Daddy and Mommy ever again.

Or protect my friends as Lifana fainted when Hero butchered the two Usapil.

By afternoon we reached a town and my level was at 3. It was bigger than what our village used to be. There was damage, but much of the village was spared the worse of it.

"Demi-humans?" A shopkeeper gasped in shock with seeing us walk into the town. "I'm amazed to see you are alive. Didn't the wave wipe out that village?"

"Yes," Hero jumped before us. "We were actually traveling when the Wave hit. We are hoping to become Adventurers since our homes are gone."

"Then you came to the right place." The owner pointed to his store. It was a general one filled with various goods from basic tools to various monster loot. "The Adventurers had set up a temporary post in my shop. Their building ended up burnt down during the Wave."

"Thank you." We entered the shop and found a lady sitting at a table with various files and tools in the corner. "May we become Adventurers, ma'am?" The guild lady adjusted her glasses and looked over us.

"The lady and you?"

"No. All five of us." The lady raised an eyebrow at Eclair. "I'm buying a replacement of my guild card. Eclair Seaetto."

"Seaetto!?" The guild lady stood up in shock. "You survived the Wave?"

"Yes. My father, though..." Eclair shook her head. "These three are my students I was taking on when the Wave hit. Since their village is gone, I am hoping to sign them up as Adventurers will protect them till they are old enough to become knight apprentices."

"I see. Much like your file says you done," The guild lady said after pulling a file from the mid stack and looked in it. "We need every helping hand, be it human or not."

"Thank you."

"No, thank you," The guild lady left out a sigh of relief. "Everyone has been so busy with slaying monsters that no one is taking the small quests that keep piling up!"

"Quests like rebuilding and such?" Hero got a nod from the lady. "I can help with that, but it would be a good experience to have these three do those missions as well."

"Indeed." Eclair smiled, "So, can you do guild cards here?"

"Yes. The price is up due to limited supplies... But I'll give a discount for the children, making it 70 copper, including the remake one."

"I barely have enough," Eclair handed the guild lady a bag that sounded of coins. "Keep the rest as a donation to help rebuild your guild hall.

"Thank you." The guild lady moved five cards in front of her. She dipped a quill into an ink well and wrote on all five cards. Alright, ready. Names, please."

"Raphtalia."

"Kiel."

"Lifana."

"Eclair Seaetto."

"Naruto Uzumaki." The guild lady stopped writing and looked at Hero.

"Could you repeat that?"

"Naruto Uzumaki." What an odd name. I cocked my head at Hero.

"I see. Your name is from the legendary heroes' language. I recommend an alias right now. Many might mistake you for a hero."

But Hero... No, Naruto was a hero.

"Um... Would Sage work?" The guild lady raised an eyebrow but wrote on the cards.

"Alright. All I need is a little bit of your blood to sync your status to your card."

"Blood?" I felt the blood drain from my face. Naruto bit his thumb and offered his blood.

"We have prickers for clean blood," The guild lady gave an evil eye at Naruto before she pulled out little needles and gave us each one. Eclair showed us how to prick our fingers and we all get our cards activated. They all showed the same color of orange and the letter "E" in the corner except for Eclair's which was a "C."

"Do I need to explain the ranking system?" The guild lady asked.

"No. I'll explain it to them later." Eclair answered, "What E-rank quests do you have available at the moment?"

"Plenty, " The guild lady hefted up a thick file from her stacks. "We have several people needing help with clean up, the local healers need herbs, and even some small hunting quests."

"We'll take them all." Naruto got a dumbfounded look from the guild lady. "In unison with power, shadows take shape! Shadow Clones!" The room filled with clones and the guild lady fell out of her chair. "Alright! Line up for a job!"

"W-What kind of... No, your alias makes sense now." The guild lady got up and dusted herself off. "Alright, the first mission is a rebuilding one."

"Yosh! Leave it to us!" Three clones took the paper the guild lady held out. "We can... Ah, right... I can't read." The clone whimpered with teary eyes.

"Ah, but you can use magic..."

"He learned a different language." The guild lady nodded with Eclair's response. "We have to teach him Melromarc."

"Ok. I won't add the illiterate tag on the card if he is going to learn to read." The guild lady said as Naruto had a pained expression. "Allow me to read out the quest and explain the needed procedures to be done."

"Alright, " Eclair moved as away from the desk. "The guild has a rank system. You start out at rank E and go up from there. I'm at rank C as that was where I was at when I have gotten into the academy. The higher the rank, the more risk is involved in the quest. The highest rank is A which only the top of the top can take on."

"So similar to how we ninja do things," Naruto said with a grin. "We'll take on the hunting quests for now and let my clones do the rest."

"That would work, " Eclair said before Naruto looked at the ink the guild lady was using. "What is it, He-Mr.Sage." Eclair corrected herself.

"Hey, could I see some of your ink?" Naruto asked the guild lady and she raised an eyebrow.

"Normal or magic?"

"Magic. I am running low on my special ink and want to see if I can use magic ink in place of it. Just a finger amount."

"Alright. Partly as thanks for the help." She offered the bottle of ink to Naruto. He dipped his none-bloody finger in it. He scribbled something on his shield and made a hand seal.

"In unison with power, words bend to my will! Seal!" The ink moved and shrunk to form a smaller script with the bottle of ink disappeared in a puff of smoke. "In unison with power, words break to my will! Release!" The ink bottle reappeared and Naruto sloppy caught it and some of the ink spilled into the shield. "Oops. Sorry."

"No. What magic did you just used?" The guild lady said in awe. Her eyes sparkled at the bottle of ink.

"Just a basic storage seal, " Naruto sighed in relief. "Thankfully, your ink works. Could you order me some once I earn some money?"

"I'll gladly give you some ink if you make some storage seals for me!" The guild lady took Naruto's hand with pure glee on her face. "To be able to carry around all my equipment and files on just paper... What a wondrous invention!"

"Sure. Let me take some ink and test some of the consumer versions first to make sure I got it working properly." Naruto tried to give her back the ink, but she quickly put a cork in it and pushed it back to him.

"Use that ink for your experiments. I still have plenty in stock to make guild cards and official documents!" The guild lady chimed out. "Now let's get back to quest giving."

"Guess it's a good thing I've been practicing writing with my left, " Naruto let out a sigh and then looked at the Shield. "What the... Adventurer Shield?" The ink from before was gone and a clean Shield that looked a bit like a black guild card showed in the light. Only the scribbled remain... Ah, no, it disappeared into the Shield as well!

"Adventurer Growth Adjustment(small)?" Naruto mumbled out before his eyes widen. "So it can absorb seals, too. Shield, you are a glutton... Agh..." Naruto whimpered as the handle of the shield tightened on Naruto's hand. "I... Take it... Back."

"Stop messing around." Kiel scoffed at Naruto. "It's our turn for a quest." He pointed at the cleared out shop. We have gotten a few quests for Usapils and other small monsters loot. We hunted for the rest of the afternoon and set up camp right outside the town.


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days were busy. We did quests of all types for the town and our levels quickly reached to the teens with the constant quests and traveling between the stronghold and town. Naruto even had some of his clones bring over extra crops he donated to the town for those who lost their homes.

"So this world has a similar system to ninja," Grandpa Sage said as he sat on Naruto and watched us collected herbs. "How is your little orphanage doing?"

"They are doing well." Naruto hummed as he had a leaf-like shield on his arm. His herbs seemed to almost sparkle with the quality compared to ours. "These three have been doing wonderfully with training."

"Indeed," Eclair added in. "Though... I think we may have to get them proper weapons soon."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow. "My Sharpening Shield has been keeping their blades in top shape."

"I think knives don't work for these three." Eclair's eyes landed on Lifana who shrunk away. "Especially since Lifana hasn't killed anything yet."

"S-Sorry!" Lifana looked ready to cry. "It's just too scary."

"No, it is alright," Naruto ruffled Lifana's hair and she blushed with starry eyes. "Not all ninja are combatants. There are support ninja as well... Er... The same here?" Naruto looked at Eclair for help.

"Yes. There are magicians who can use various magic in a battle to assist combatants." Eclair said as she finished collecting her batch of herbs. "Which with how much funds we have managed to collect, we should be able to invest in magic books."

"More... books..."Naruto deflated. I had been helping Naruto with learning to read the few books we had. He had been doing well, just he was overwhelmed easily when it came to book learning.

"You always been one to learn through doing, Naruto-boy," Grandpa Sage chuckled as Naruto stashed away our herbs into a scroll. "Still, I can tell you recovered quite a bit."

"Still got to work out kinks to use Rasengan with magic power." Naruto groaned as we began our trek back to the town. "Though I have gotten some skills I want to try out, I need the proper equipment."

"Equipment?" I asked before Naruto pulled a vial out of his pocket. It was glass with a leaf floating in a liquid. "Medicine?!" When did he have the time to find that?!

"Yeah. I got the shield from something called a Loomush that somehow gave me the ability to compound medicine." Naruto said with a bit of shock. "Somehow, I got this when I ground some herbs against rocks."

"Boy, that Shield of yours is something."

"I know," Naruto sighed, "Hey, Grandpa Sage, did you get the toad oil I asked for."

"Yes, yes," Naruto took a bottle from Grandpa Sage. "Still think it will evaporate once you open it." Naruto used his mouth to pop off the cork and poured the oil right onto his arm and shield. The oil began to evaporate, but not before the Shield gathered some of it up.

"Ow?!" Sparks came off Shield and Naruto dropped the bottle of oil onto the ground. It completely disappeared in a few seconds. "Jeez... Level not high enough to unlock?... Still, it unlocked some shields involving toads."

"Wait, really?" I asked before seeing the slight burns to Naruto's hand. "Hero, your hand!"

"Huh? Oh, it's fine... It should heal up in a jiffy." Naruto laughed it off before we entered the village.

"Halt!" Two thuggish looking men stood before the general shop. "What are a bunch of demi-humans doing here?"

"I thought all of them been killed or sold off." One gave a sick smile at us. "How about we-"

"Ah, Mr. Sage! Thank goodness you are here!" Both thuggish men were shocked when the guild lady ran out of the general shop. "Have your party finished the quest?"

"Yes, ma'am." Naruto held out a scroll. "Is there a problem?"

"The healers really need those herbs! Some civilians were injured by monsters during their travels!"

"Got it. Should we take them directly to them?" The guild lady nodded to Naruto. "Alright, let's head-"

"What the hell? You mean you actually gave demi-human scum a job?" One of the thugs snorted in disgust. "What kind of sense do you have lady?"

"Yeah. This is human territory, not demi-human." The other thug then smirked. "They are better slaves than doing odd jobs."

"Ignore them, Mr. Sage." The guild lady huffed. "They must be drunk."

"Why you-"

"Stop." Several men in knight's armor walked up. "What is going on here?"

"Nothing, sir." The guild lady sighed. "Just dealing with two rude ones of my kind."

"Really," The leader of the knights looked over us and his eyes became sharp at Eclair. "Eclair Seaetto, if I am not mistaken?"

"Yes. I have taken leave from my position as knight due to the destruction of my home." Eclair did a slight bow to the knights' leader. "Are you finally mobilizing against the raiders who keep laying waste on these lands."

"In a way," The knights' leader twirled his little mustache in his finger. "But I heard rumors about you... That you attacked your fellow knights?"

"..." Eclair narrowed her eyes at the knight's leader.

"Yeah, this lady is a demi-human supporter!" One of the thugs chuckled. "You should arrest her!"

"Oie, oie, will you young tadpoles listen to yourselves." Grandpa Sage jumped onto Naruto's head. "We need to get those herbs to those healers."

"Yeah." Naruto nodded slightly. "Excuse us."

"At least this demi-human has manners." The knight's commander chuckled, "But, Madam Seaetto, you have deserted your position?"

"No. I am working as an adventurer temporary to help this area." Eclair said with a sigh. "I was one beforehand, so law states I can become one in times of need. Once my apprentices are high enough leveled, I will be returning to the castle to my duties. I am also in mourning due to my father."

"Ah, I see." I hide behind Naruto when the knight's leader looked at Kiel, Lifana, and me. "Are they slaves?"

"No. Orphans from the Wave," Eclair said.

"So you really have attacked your fellow-"

"Stop this minute!" The guild lady got between us and the knights' leader. "Some of our reports have been saying some knights have been taking advantage of this situation to pose as thieves due to the situation. Sadly they had gotten away, but I think you should investigate it as demi-humans aren't the only ones being targeted." The knight's leader's eyes widen at the guild lady. "We have the reports if you need to see them. And this town isn't the only one with such reports."

"I see. So you are saying Miss Seaetto was protecting humans as well as demi-humans."

"Yes."

"I will look into it." The knights' commander sighed, "However, we are to investigate a rumor of a powerful monster in the area."

"Well, if that is the case, we will be careful," Naruto said before we turned our backs to the groups. We headed straight to the healer's pharmacy. "Hello? You needed-Herb?!" Naruto dodged one of the healers' assistants as he rushed with a bowl of water to the other side of the pharmacy. Makeshift beds lined the shop with injured people in them.

"Sorry, we are close." One of the healers said as he was busy mixing at postal and mortar.

"We brought the herbs you requested." Naruto unsealed the herbs and brought them over to the healers. "Do you need any help?"

"Can you make medicine?"

"A little," Naruto handed the herbs over. "However, I can also use healing techniques."

"Then heal the worse off," The healer said, "We used up all our magic on healing those who lost limbs and critical. We used up our supply of healing medicine and got still some serious cases."

"Right," Naruto said as his eyes turned gold and he looked over the injured. He went over to someone who held onto their stomach. "In unison with power, spread and soothe! Yang Heal!" He put his hands on the man's body and man's wounds sizzled close.

I watched Naruto as he healed other people. I wondered for a moment and then moved over to a person with a broken arm.

"What do you... want, demi-human?" The man gritted his teeth at me.

I took a deep breath and reached for the chakra inside me. I broke off a piece like I did for the clones and moved it to my hands. "I am one with the source of all power. Hear my words and understand them. Light soothe the injured! Light Heal!" My hands glowed white and I put them on the man's arm. He looked away but didn't complain as I healed up his broken bones.

I smiled and hopped to the next person.

"I am one with the source of all power. Hear my words and understand them. Spread out and soothe the injured. Heal Aura!" Lifana shouted and managed to become enshrouded by a dome of light around several injured. However, she wheezed once the injured were healed.

"Lifana, rest." Eclair put her hand on my friend's shoulder. "That spell is too much right now."

"Okay... Cough." Lifana covered her mouth.

Naruto and I kept healing while Eclair and Kiel assisted in dressing wounds. Grandpa Sage disappeared after half an hour, but I kept up till I felt ready to drop and had to sit next to Lifana.

"I wish I could be of more use to Mr. Naruto." Lifana whimpered as she watched Naruto heal another injured person. "To think we would meet the real... And he is just like in the books!" Lifana hides her blushing face. "If only I was older..."

"He isn't that much older..." I blinked at Naruto. I raised an eyebrow as I realized something. "Had... he always have a beard?"

"Uh-huh... And he looks dashing with it." Lifana hummed out. "So soft and fluffy looking... I would love to rub my face against his."

"Oh," I chuckled at my love-dazed friend. With how focused I was, I never noticed Naruto had gotten a beard over the last few days. He also seemed a bit older and his hair longer...

Wait... Demi-humans grown with their levels.

Could Naruto be...

"Excuse me." The knights' leader came into the pharmacy just as Naruto finished healing the last of the patients. "However, we are to commandeer all healers."

"What?" The main healer narrowed his eyes at the knights' leader. "Can't you see we exhausted our magic power without current patients. We just can't up and leave them either."

"It doesn't matter as a dangerous beast is stocking the lands and we need healers to assist in healing." The knights' leader then narrowed his eyes on us. "What about those... adventurers?"

"They can heal, but-"

"Madam Eclair, I order you to reinstate your position in the army." Eclair went wide-eyed at the knights' leader. "Your party will be assisting us in a very important quest."

"And what is that?" Eclair held Kiel back.

"To take down the nine-tailed beast plaguing these lands." The knights' leader grinned at us. "If you go, I will allow the healers here to stay."

"Tch... Mr. Sage, are you... alright with it?" Eclair looked at Naruto with a frown.

"Do we really have a choice?" Naruto let out a sigh. "We will go with you... But if I know what creature you speak of... I don't think healers can save you."

"Indeed," Eclair added with a somber tone. "It is why I gave up on those lands and trying to salvage what is left from the carnage."

"Good... Then come," Eclair took Lifana and put my friend on her back.

The knights gave us no chance to rest. We started our journey as soon as we stepped out of the pharmacy.

The trek towards the village was silent and tense. Several of the knights glared at us the whole time we traveled. Once we reached the fog, all the knights went on guard with weapons drawn.

"Be ready. It has been known to appear without warning." The knights' leader barked out.

"It must be from the Wave."

"I heard it has already killed a good deal of adventurers and knights."

"Hmph. I only kill those who negativity want to harm." A gravelly voice echoed throughout the dense fog. "I see no reason to attack you, so leave."

"What?"

"Did... Did it just spoke?"

"Lies!" The knights' leader shouted out. "Show yourself, fiend!"

"Fine..." I watched as Kurama slowly appeared out of the fog. His tails low and flicked with annoyance. "You humans are annoying. I was enjoying my nap."

"As if! Charge!" The knights ran towards Kurama. Kurama simply shielded himself with his tails and only metal clanks came from the attacks.

"Foolish apes," Kurama slammed one of his tails into the ground and all the knights fell to their knees due to the small earthquake it caused. "I am tired of bloodshed. Leave."

"Then why you killed those innocent people?" One of the knights shouted.

"Tch. Innocent?" Kurama laughed. "Those I had killed slaughtered innocents after the disaster destroyed both the innocents' and my home. I just gave them their just punishment."

"Those were demi-humans. They had no rights." The knights' leader snorted back at Kurama. "Humans have the right to kill them if they please!"

"You small ones are the same to me." Kurama sighed, "but be glad I did. I can sense negative emotions and those foolish apes were quickly becoming bad, rotten fruits... No. They were rotten fruits."

"Why you-" Naruto ran past the knights' leader. "What are you doing? Get back here!" I followed him, not wanting to be left behind. We both got between the knights and Kurama.

"Oh? What's this?" Kurama shifted his head down and gave us a wide, fang-filled grin. "What do you want, little one?"

"You said your home was destroyed by the Wave?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, yes. My favorite den demolished by those pesky vermin." Kurama snarled. "It had taken me a century just to find that cozy, isolated spot."

"Then I am to assume you are a summoning, not a monster as the knights believe?"

"Oh, ho?" Kurama's eyes went wide. "A summoner? I thought your kind went extinct long ago. State your name, little one."

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I am a sage from Mt. Myoboku," Naruto held out his hand. "As a summoner of the toads left behind by the legendary heroes, I ask thee for a contract."

"Oh? And what that contract be?"

"In exchange for your services, you can live at Mt. Myoboku. If you promise not to eat the toads, that is." Naruto offered, "There are more waves prophesied to come. If you wish to see a stop to the bloodshed, help me fight these waves."

"It's not that easy as you promise." Kurama snorted.

"I know, but what choice do we have?" Naruto sighed, "At least this will give you a new place and a chance to get back at the waves for destroying your home. If not, then the knights and adventurers will keep coming and... well..." Naruto looked back at the knights.

"Tch. Fine." Kurama smiled, "I agree to your contract on one condition."

"What is that condition?"

"You protect the people from the Waves." Naruto held out his hand and Kurama touched it with his tail. He turned into a mass of orange energy and in a gust of wind, disappeared in a puff of smoke. Naruto collapsed to his knees and panted hard.

"Are you alright, Hero?" I whispered to Naruto and looked at his hand. Nine lines going into a single point was burnt into the top of his hand.

"Yeah. Pretend to heal me." Naruto whispered back. "Make it believable."

"Y-Yes," I put my hands onto his hand. "I am one with the source of all power. Hear my words and understand them. Light soothe the injured! Light Heal!" My hands glowed for a second before disappearing as I lacked the magic power to use it.

"I'm alright." Naruto wheezed out. "Individual contracts are painful, but at least this solves your monster problem." Naruto turned to the knights' leader.

"What... What in God's name did you just do, Demi-human?" The knights' leader roared out and grabbed onto Naruto's shirt. "Are you a demon?"

"Summoner."

"Huh?" The knights' leader looked at Naruto with confusion. "Summon...er? Don't kid with me, scum! The only kind of summoning is the summoning for the Legendary Heroes!"

"No. There are summonings here, bought by the legendary heroes." Naruto said with a sigh. "Just not many know about them as they are picky to who they allow make contracts with them."

"Prove it." The knights' leader let Naruto go. "Summon something."

"Sure." Naruto bit his thumb and made the hand seals, "Summoning Technique!" In a puff of smoke, a large toad appeared. It was just taller than the knights' leader and Naruto sat on top of him. "Sorry for the sudden summoning but I had to prove I was a summoner."

"No prob." The toad laughed. "The face on that man is priceless, so I don't mind the quick summoning." The knights' leader had his jaw gap open and pure shock across his face. "Need anything else?"

"No. Thank you." With a puff, Naruto landed on the ground and the toad was gone. "Well, with this situation solved, my party will take our leave." We moved towards the others, but the knights surrounded us.

"No can do, Hero." Naruto's eyes widen at the knights' leader words. "To think there was an eighth hidden hero... Hero of Summoning, you are under our custody and to be brought to the castle. Try to resist and... well," I shuttered when the knights' leader grinned at me.

"Guess I have no choice." Naruto sighed out and looked over us. "Harm a single hair on Little Eclair and our students and I will show you what I can do."

"Understood," the knights' leader smirked. "Now, let's make haste to the castle. The king must know of this wondrous discovery." The knights escorted us out of the fog and to the carriages they had nearby.


	8. Discontinued

Dear Readers,

This story is discontinued. I lost all my notes and chapters due to my favorite writing app glitched out and deleted more than what I wanted when cleaning it out of half baked fic ideas and false starts. Since it would be a lot of work to get back where I was at and looking back over what I have written, I decided it wouldn't be worth it to continue the current story as is. If anyone wants to adopt it, I don't mind if they just take the story and run with it. I will be putting my focus on my newest story Shield Ninja for now since it escaped my blunder with me writing the chapters out by hand in notebooks which will be what I probably do from now on with any story I post from now on. I might rewrite my older stories at a later date, but they will be rewrites inside of updating this story.


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